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Dead whale found on Uruguay beach lifted into truck, hauled to burial site

The carcass of a sperm whale that washed ashore on Carrasco beach is lifted with a crane, in Montevideo, Uruguay, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (Intendencia de Montevideo, Monica Riet)

The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, January 14, 2014 7:59AM EST

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - A dead sperm whale that washed ashore on a beach in Uruguay has been hauled away by truck for burial.

The 16-meter whale was found Saturday in Carrasco, a beach in the capital of Montevideo.

Dozens of navy officials and rescuers used excavators to drag the marine mammal weighing up to 25 tons to shore.

A crane lifted the whale's remains onto a truck Monday. Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered to look at the animal despite an overpowering smell hanging over the beach in the residential Montevideo neighbourhood.

Officials say the whale showed no signs of injuries and likely lost its bearings.